'30 fighters' injured in Ukraine clashes
The bodies of at least 30 fighters have been taken to a hospital following a day of heavy fighting in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, in which government forces used combat jets against pro-Russia rebels, an insurgent said today.
The rebel fighter said the truck carrying the bodies of his fellow insurgents was still parked outside the hospital, waiting for explosives experts to check it for any unexploded ordnance.
Donetsk, which has a population of one million, saw heavy fighting yesterday, when rebels moved to seize the city's airport, Ukraine's second largest, and were repelled by government forces, who used combat jets and helicopter gunships.
Associated Press journalists witnessed sustained intensive gun fire throughout the day and into the night. Plumes of black smoke rose in the air.
Officials closed the airport, and police shut nearby streets for traffic. The city's mayor went on television to advise residents to stay at home.
Yesterday's battle came just as billionaire chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in Sunday's presidential vote.
He has vowed to negotiate a peaceful end to insurgency in the east, where rebels have seized government offices and fought Ukrainian troops for more than a month.
Yet Mr Poroshenko described the separatists as "Somali pirates", saying that arms should be used against "killers and terrorists", but he also indicated that he wants a quick end to the military operation in the east.
"The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months," he said. "It should and will last hours."
Mr Poroshenko, known for his pragmatism, supports building strong ties with Europe but has also stressed the importance of mending relations with Moscow. Upon claiming victory, he said his first step as president would be to visit the east.
He said he hoped Russia would support his efforts to bring stability and that he wanted to hold talks with Moscow.
Russia welcomed his intention to engage in talks with people in the east and said it would be ready to work with Mr Poroshenko.
Russia has denied accusations by the Ukrainian interim government and the West that it has fomented the insurgency in the east.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stonewalled the insurgents' appeal to join Russia and welcomed the Ukrainian presidential election in an apparent bid to de-escalate tensions with the West, which has plunged to a post-Cold War low after Russia's annexation of Crimea.
But Russia has kept pushing for Ukraine to decentralise its government, which would give more power to regions, including those in the east, and wants Kiev to withdraw its troops from the area.
